Montreal housing advocates are sounding the alarm, stating that the city's housing crisis is intensifying. According to a report released by the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU), the vacancy rate in the Montreal metropolitan area dropped to 1.5% in 2025, down from 2.0% the previous year. Meanwhile, average rents have increased by 8.3% over the same period, pushing more households into unaffordable situations.
Advocates demand government action
“The situation is becoming untenable for thousands of families,” said Véronique Laflamme, a spokesperson for FRAPRU. “We need the provincial government to implement rent control measures and invest in social housing immediately.” The group is calling for the construction of 50,000 new social housing units across Quebec over the next five years.
The crisis is particularly acute for low-income renters. A separate study by the University of Montreal found that nearly 40% of renter households in Montreal spend more than 30% of their income on housing, the threshold for affordability. This is a 5% increase from 2020.
Impact on vulnerable populations
Advocates warn that the crisis is disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, including Indigenous people, recent immigrants, and single-parent families. The number of evictions in Montreal rose by 12% in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to data from the Regie du logement.
“We are seeing more people forced into overcrowded apartments or even homelessness,” added Laflamme. “The government must act now to prevent a full-blown humanitarian crisis.”
The Quebec government has announced a $1.8 billion plan over five years to build 15,000 social housing units, but advocates argue this is insufficient. FRAPRU is urging the government to triple that commitment.
